Tikal

At 4:00 my alarm woke me for my sunrise trip to Tikal. The van, scheduled for 4:30 showed at 4:50. We drove around the tiny town of Flores and picked up the rest of the tour group. We drove through the jungle and arrived at the visitor center at 6:30, well past sunrise. A ham sandwich and coffee came to Q41, typical park overcharging. The entrance fee of Q150 was collected by Boris, our guide who went off to buy our tickets.

Exotic birds chirped as I looked over a pond that bore a sign warning that it contained crocodiles. Boris stated that a Wrigley Gum company explorer found the site while looking for chicle in 1848.

Much has been written about Tikal, mostly about the Mayan Ruins. Early morning photo shots were frustrating as the low sun seemed to be behind every temple giving rise to flare or over exposure on the tops; It seemed as if they all faced west or south, I'll have to look this The park is also a wonderful place for hiking or observing nature. If all of the structures were removed this would still be a wonderful place to visit. The trails through the jungle are wide, but being clay can be very slippery; after the tour ended I walked to temple VI, it is isolated from the rest of the buildings and not included on the tour, and at one point I descended twenty feet without moving my feet, skiing in my boots on the slippery mud. Upon reaching the bottom I had to run on the grassy shoulder to prevent a rapid stop and a head over heels, camera smashing to the ground conclusion to the hill.

At the beginning of the tour I saw in rapid succession a tarantula, an occellated turkey, a spider monkey, a keel billed toucan and a Coati/Pizote/Coatimundi. Howler monkeys announced their presence but I never saw one. During the day I spotted many toucans, a few parrots, a gray fox, many more pizotes and lots of lizards and geckos.



I would advise travelers that the only reason to get up to see the sunrise tour is to be back in Flores by 2:00. One day of Flores is probably enough anyway.

Well, enough about yesterday, I have to catch a bus to Antigua (Guatemala). Is it too late to climb the volcano? Is it too difficult a walk? Will my shoes actually melt if I stand in one place too long?

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